Kingston community comes together to raise money for injured player

Students rally for injured player, help with medical bills

photos by Paul Efird/News Sentinel
Roane County High School students participate in a walk for injured football player Seth Haynes on Tuesday in Kingston. Hayes, a sophomore, is recovering at University of Tennessee Medical Center after breaking his neck last Friday in a game against Sequoyah High School.

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Seth Haynes

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Seth Haynes, Roane County High School football player seriously injured in a Oct. 18 game.

Roane County High School students Keelie Woody, left, Whitney Hamilton (obscured), Kaylie Plemons, and Sarah Rose show support for injured football player Seth Haynes on Tuesday in Kingston.

The town of Kingston is rallying around one of its own.

Seth Haynes, a sophomore at Roane County High School, has become a focal point of fundraising efforts after he suffered a neck injury Friday night during a football game against Sequoyah High in Madisonville, Tenn.

Led by the Yellow Jackets' football team, the school Tuesday morning participated in a "Walk for Seth Haynes" in Kingston to raise funds for the family's medical expenses related to Seth's injury.

Students were asked but not required to make a $2 donation, and members of the football team led the walk and collected money from the public.

Head football coach Brian Pankey said Tuesday night that Seth made progress earlier in the day.

"When I texted her (Tammy Haynes, Seth's mother) earlier, she said they had him up walking around and he was feeling a lot better today than yesterday," Pankey said. "The physical therapist came in this afternoon and had him moving around and walking. Today was the first day they did that because they didn't want to push it too much."

Seth, a wide receiver/defensive back, suffered the injury while attempting to make a tackle on a kickoff. He was carted off the field on a gurney and taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Those in attendance were stunned.

"Seth is liked by everybody he speaks to," Roane County High School Principal Lance Duff said. "It's a tough situation to see a young man go through this. I visited with him Sunday, and the thing that bothered him the most was that he won't be able to play football again, but that's not what he needs to worry about. He just needs to get better."

Pankey said the community is still coming to grips with the injury.

"I went to school here, grew up here, and played football here," Pankey said. "I've never seen anything like this. The community is still shocked. Nothing like this has ever happened at Kingston. A lot of people from Kingston were at the game. I think people are still kind of shocked."

Sophomore Paul Bolden, a backup quarterback for Roane County, was one of the football players taking donations from the public as they drove by Tuesday morning's walk.

Paul first met Seth when they played Little League football together in Kingston when they were 5 or 6 years old.

"We grew up together and have pretty much been best friends since the first time we met," Paul said.

Paul visited Seth in the hospital Sunday and said it was a trying time.

"It's really hard because Seth is always the kind of person who is cracking jokes and making people laugh," Paul said. "To see him not be able to talk and move is difficult."

Pankey recalls the same qualities about Seth.

"Every time I see him in the hallway, he was always smiling and laughing," Pankey said. "He never had a bad day. When I see him immobilized and not moving (in the hospital), I've never seen Seth that quiet. It's tough."

Seth will remain a big part of the Yellow Jackets' homecoming game Friday night against Sweetwater.

Duff said students came up with a unique idea for a fundraiser for Seth as part of Friday's homecoming day.

"The students are raising funds by having a faculty member kiss a goat," Duff said. "We're not sure who it will be yet (to kiss the goat)."

It's the town of Kingston rallying around Seth.

"I think everybody knows Seth and everybody likes him," Paul said. "It's kind of brought the community together in a way."

Additional donations to Seth's family may be made to: Citizens National Bank, Attn: Seth Haynes or For the Benefit of Seth Haynes, 202 N. Kentucky St., Kingston, TN; 37763.